Shuttle mechanism for embroidering-machines.



M'. SGHOBNPELD. SHUTTLE MECHANISM FOR EMBROIDERING MACHINES.

-APBLIOATION FILED APEA, 1910.

Patented June 27, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

M. SGHOENFEL'D. v SHUTTLE MEOHANISM FOR EMBROIDERING MACHINES.

' APPLICATION TILED APR.4, 1910.

996,285, Patented June 27, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS cm, wnsnmcron. 12 c M. SOHOBNFELD. fSHUTTLEIMEGHVANISM FOR EMBROIDERING- men'mns.

' APPLICATION FILED APBu i, 1910.

"996,285, Patented June 27, 1911.

WT 5/ 190W 32 MORRIS SCHOENFELD, 0F RORSCHAGH, SWITZERLAND.

SHUTTLE MECHANISM FOR EMBROIDERING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1911.

Application filed April 4, 1910. Serial No. 553,165.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS SCHOENFELD, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Rorschach, in the Canton of St. Gall, Switzerland,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shuttle Mechanismfor Embroidering-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to the stitch forming parts of anembroidering machine and more particularly to the shuttle mecha-IllSIIl.

The object of my present invention is to make it possible to useshuttles much larger than heretofore and to do so I have utilized acatcher which enters the loop of the thread as it is brought through thefabric by the needle and by an action in addition to the usual movementof the shuttle the catcher enlarges the thread loop sufliciently topermit the shuttle to pass through.

I-Ieretofore an enlargement of the shuttle beyond certain limits hasbeen impracticable as an increase in the length of the shuttlematerially decreased the working possibilities of the machine bydecreasing the number of the needles which it was possible to placewithin the longitudinal limitations of the machine; while to increasethe shuttle in width was more or less limited by the length of theshuttle because a too large increase in the width from the nose of theshuttle would make it impossible to get the shuttle through the loopspeedily. By increasing the size of the shuttle it is possible to uselarger bobbins with a correspondingly larger supply of thread and theshuttles will not require replenishing so often; and this in a machineemploying hundreds of needles is an important factor.

In my improved mechanism I employ an element which lies near the nose ofthe shuttle and engages in the loop of the thread as it is formed by theneedle. This element is then given a movement which enlarges the loop inthe thread and permits the larger shuttle to pass through the loop.

My invention may be carried out in several forms, in which the shuttlestravel on longitudinal tracks or upright tracks and the details of themechanism are susceptible of modification.

Other advantages will appear from the detailed description of anembodiment of my invention hereinafter.

In the drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a planView of the stitch forming elements of an embroidering machine, showingmy improved shuttle mechanism in one form, in which the shuttles travelin longitudinal shuttle tracks, Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1, showingthe parts in cross section, Fig. 3 is a section through one of theshuttles, Figs. 4 to 6 are views similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts inthe different positions during the operation thereof, Figs. 7 to 10 areplan views of the shuttles driven by a modified form of mechanism, Fig.11 is an end view of the preceding construction, showing the same incross section, Fig. 12 is across section of one of the shuttles used inthis modified construction.

The mechanism consists primarily of a shuttle or set of shuttles and foreach shuttle there is a catcher which engages the thread near the noseof the shuttle, preferably before the latter itself enters the loop ofthe thread and moves preferably in an oscillatory action to open thethread loop sufficiently to permit the shuttle to pass freely throughthe thread loop; and mechanism for operating the shuttle and thecatcher. The catcher I have termed the element for opening the loop, maybe operated by different forms of mechanism, of which several examplesare herein shown. The exact moment at which the catcher enters the loopmay differ under the broad scope of my invention but I prefer to sodispose the catcher that its end will lie close to the nose of theshuttle and will enter the loop just before the shuttle begins to passthrough the loop. The catcher is then operated to open the loop eitherwhile the shuttle is passing therethrough or it may complete its openingaction before the shuttle enters the loop.

I will first describe the form of my invention as embodied in Figs. 1 to6. The shuttle and various parts I have shown supported upon astationary support or carrier 1, which is rigidly and longitudmallymounted upon the embroidering machine; and the needles 3, which arearranged in longitudinal rows upon the machine in the usual way work inand out of the needle channels 4 of the carrier 1, and in doing so theycarry the threads 5 through the fabric 6 which is stretched upon atambour frame before the various needles in the usual way.

The track for guiding the various shuttles in this form of my inventionI have shown formed of a guiding plate or flange 2, projecting from thecarrier 1, and a needle plate 7 attached to the edge of the carrier 1,and which is provided with apertures for the needles to passtherethrough into the needle channels 4:. For each needle I haveprovided, in this form, a shuttle consisting of a casing 8, which ispreferably of rectangular form and shaped to work in the track formed bythe carrier 1, the flange 2, and the needle plate 7 The bobbin 9,carrying the thread of the shuttle is shown disposed across the shuttleand mounted to turn on a pin 11 on the hinged cover 10 of the shuttleand the pin 12. Each shuttle is provided with a catcher and. in the formnow under consideration the catcher consists of a plate 13 which issecured to the exterior of the shuttle by means of the screw 12; and ithas a reduced point 14 so disposed that it will enter the loop of thethread 5 as the latter is formed by the needle and preferably to oneside of the shuttle, in this form; and this plate or catcher graduallycurves at 17 to open the thread loop as the catcher is oscillated. Thecatcher plate 13 passes partly around the shuttle and is provided with apart 15 which has a radial slot 16. The connection of the catcher withthe shuttle is such that the former may oscillate freely about thelatter and I prefer in all forms of my invention to connect the catcherwith the shuttle so that it travels therewith shuttle drive arms 18which are arranged on the bar 19 in such a way that there will be adrive arm engaging on opposite ends of each shuttle as shown in Fig. 1.

The shuttle drive bar travels between the guides 20 and 21, which aremounted on the carrier 1 and the mechanism for operating the drive barmay be such as is usually employed for operating drive bars, or such aswill be readily understood by those skilled in the art, it beingnecessary simply to impart a reciprocating movement to the drive bars.There is another drive bar 22, which travels between the guides 20 and28, similar to the shuttle drive bar and any mechanism is employed tooperate the same to move it as indicated in the drawings and which willbe understood by those skilled in the art. This drive bar is providedwith an arm 2% for each catcher, whereby the bar is common to theseveral catchers of a row. and these arms are provided'with a roller 25on their upperends which are so positioned that they will engage in theradial slots 16 in the several catchers.

The action of the first form of my invention will be readily understoodfrom the drawings. The bars 19 and 22 advance to the right in thefigures, both at the same speed, immediately after the needles havepassed through the fabric and into the needle channels, until theengaging end 14 of the catcher enters the loop of the thread near theneedle as shown in Fig. 4. The point 14: will then take in the threadloop and the catcher is then ready to be oscillated to open the threadloop suificiently to allow the shuttle to pass therethrough withouthaving to make a long shuttle with a very long nose, as would be thecase with prior constructions. During the movement of the drive bar 22to the right the roller 25 was travelling in the slot 16 of the catcher.The direction of movement of the drive bar 22 is now reversed and ismade to travel to the left in the drawings and the result will bethatthe roller 25 will act upon the catcher to rotate the latter uponits axle when the loop of the thread which was engaged by the end 14 ofthe catcher will be opened. At the same time the bar 19 continues tomove in its first direction, to the right, and the enlargementof theloop by the catcher makes way for the passage of the shuttle. Theshuttle will finally pass through the thread loop and slightly beyondthe extreme movement, of the engaging fingers 24:, so that the threadcan pass between the shuttle and the roller 25. The thread is now drawnup by the action of the take up and the shuttle is ready to be returnedto its first position ready for the next stitch. WVhen the shuttle drivebar is reversed in direction the shuttle will move to the left and theroller 25 will re'e'ngage in the radial slot 16 of the catcher andthereafter the shuttle drive bar and the catcher drive bar will bereturned to the first or starting position when the shut-tle and catcherwill be ready to make the same action for the next stitch and themovement is so continued during the stitching operation of the machine.

It will be apparent that quite large shuttles may be used and they canbe placed close together and their action may be very rapid without inany way decreasing the quality. of the work over that heretoforeproduced in former machines.

In Figs. 7 to 12 I have shown still another way of operating thecatcher. In this form the shuttles may remain as in the first form,

I have shown two bellcrank levers 29, 30,

suitably mounted to rock upon fulcrums 35 and they are operated in anywell known manner, as for instance by cams on the shaft of the machine.The cams are not here shown as they will be obvious to any one skilledin the art and they will be apparent from the requirements of themechanism which they are to operate. These bellcrank levers have longrods 31, 32, fulcrumed to their upper ends, each of which is providedwith an engaging pin 33, 34, the former engaging the edge 36 .on oneside of the axle of the catcher and the latter engaging on the edge 37on the other side of the axle. To this extent the catcher is modifiedover the first form, as shown in Fig. 12. The parts before the stitchingbegins are in the position shown in Fig. 7. When the needle advancesthrough the fabric the bellcrank levers are moved to the right, when thepins 33, 34:, on the rods 31, 32, will move the catcher forward with theshuttle without any oscillation until the nose of the catcher engages inthe loop of the thread as shown in Fig. 8; and then the bellorank lever29 and its rod 31 are given an additional movement as shown in Fig. 9and the bellcrank lever 30 and its rod 32 are given a reverse movement,thus causing the catcher to be oscillated to open the loop of the threadand let the shuttle pass through the loop. When the catcher has beensufliciently oscillated the shuttle passes on through the loop, as

shown in Fig. 10 and the loop is then taken.

up by the action of the take up. The shuttle is then returned to itsoriginal position and the bellcrank levers are also returned when theparts are in a position ready for the next stitch.

Many changes may be made in the form and operation of the mechanismwithout departing from the broad spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. A stitch forming mechanism comprising a sewing needle, a shuttletrack and a reciprocating shuttle adapted to cooperate with the needle,a shuttle drive adapted to reciprocate the shuttle, an oscillatingcatcher carried by the shuttle, and adapted to engage and enlarge thethread loop for the passage of the shuttle, means reciprocatingindependent of the shuttle movement and adapted to engage and oscillatethe said catcher in addition to the reciprocating movement caused by theshuttle drive, and means for operating said reciprocating means.

2. A stitch forming mechanism comnrising sewing needles, a shuttle trackand reciprocating shuttles adapted to cooperate with the needles, ashuttle drive adapted to reciprocate the shuttles, an oscillatingcatcher carried by each of the shuttles and adapted to engage andenlarge the thread loop for the passage therethrough of the shuttle,each of said catchers having a slot, pins engaging and disengaging insaid slots and means for imparting a movement to said pins generallyreverse to the shuttle driving movement, whereby said catchers will beoscillated.

Signed at the city of Rorschach, in the Canton of St. Gall, Switzerland,this 24th day of March, 1910.

MORRIS SCHOENFELD.

In the presence of FRIEDR. STEINER, EDGAR LooH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

